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Eggplant Caviar Spread Recipe

Eggplant caviar makes a great party appetizer or “zakuska”. It’s an old Russian favorite. You can enjoy it as a spread over toast for breakfast, lunch or even dinner, maybe a mid-day snack and when you can’t sleep at night because you can’t stop thinking about this eggplant caviar ;). I’ve been testing several eggplant spread recipes and so far this is my favorite. I learned to make this eggplant caviar from Natalia K, a friend from our worship team.

Natalia uses Pace Picante sauce in her recipe. I made it with the roasted salsa we posted recently which is the bomb dot com <– don’t go to that site, I don’t know what’s there and I don’t endorse it. My sister once told everyone jokingly that her web site was: (insert something funny that could be taken completely wrong and I wont’ tell you what it was) dot com and she never thought to check what the actual site had on it. Let’s just say it was bad. lol. Poor girl. She was mortified.

Back on track… I’m thinking the eggplant caviar would work if you use your favorite store-bought salsa in it (but you should still try the roasted salsa – you’ll probably get hooked like we are). P.S. After everything is chopped, total cooking time is under 10 minutes. Nice.

2. In a second, large skillet, heat 4-5 Tbsp oil over medium/high heat. Add finely diced eggplant (you could make bigger dice but it’s more spreadable this way). The Vidalia Chop Wizard makes chopping so much easier. Sprinkle in 1 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, stir, and cook uncovered for 10 minutes stirring often until eggplant is very soft (7 minutes). Add more oil if the eggplant is sticking to the pan.

3. Once it’s soft, stir in 3/4 to 1 cup salsa and your onion/carrot mix. Mix well and heat for another minute until the spread is hot. Serve with toasted bread or your favorite crackers.

We took this stuff over to my sisters house for dinner and it went fast. Everyone loved it!

Eggplant Caviar Spread Recipe

5 from 3 votes

Prep Time:20minutes

Cook Time:10minutes

Total Time:30minutes

Eggplant caviar makes a great party appetizer or "zakuska". It's an old Russian favorite. You can enjoy it as a spread over toast for breakfast, lunch or even dinner, maybe a mid-day snack and when you can't sleep at night because you can't stop thinking about this eggplant caviar ;). I'm thinking this recipe would work if you use your favorite store-bought salsa in it (but you should still try the roasted salsa we have posted on the blog - you'll probably get hooked like we are). P.S. After everything is chopped, total cooking time is under 10 minutes. Nice.

Ingredients

3/4 to 1cupsalsawe used our roasted salsa recipe or you can use Pace Picante Sauce and you can buy Mild, Medium, or Hot depending on your affinity for spice.

Instructions

In a Medium skillet, heat 2-3 Tbsp oil over medium high heat. Add onion and carrot and saute until soft (7 min), stirring often. Add pressed garlic and saute another 1-2 minutes stirring constantly. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a second, large skillet, heat 4-5 Tbsp oil over medium/high heat. Add finely diced eggplant (you could make bigger dice but it's more spreadable this way). Sprinkle in 1 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, stir, and cook uncovered for 10 minutes stirring often until eggplant is very soft (7 minutes). Add more oil if the eggplant is sticking to the pan.

Once it's soft, stir in 3/4 to 1 cup salsa and your onion/carrot mix. Mix well and heat for another minute until the spread is hot. Serve with toasted bread or your favorite crackers.

We took this stuff over to my sisters house for dinner and it went fast. Everyone loved it.

natashaskitchen

Welcome to my kitchen! I am Natasha, the blogger behind Natasha's Kitchen (since 2009). My husband and I run this blog together and share only our best, family approved recipes with YOU. Thanks for stopping by! We are so happy you're here.

Hi Natasha,,,, I just made the eggplant spread and it’s terrific,,,, just like mom made it. The only difference is I mashed the eggplant after it got soft, omg,,,, yum!! Just had it on some black bread. I am in heaven!!! And it’s healthy as well . Thanks, Natasha!!!!! Reply

Natasha's Kitchen

December 16, 2017

You’re welcome Nonna! I’m happy to hear how much you enjoy the recipe! Thanks for sharing your excellent review with other readers! Reply

Lora

June 18, 2016

Hi Miss Natasha- This is my first time discovering your blog. I am first generation Ukrainian as my folks immigrated in 1951 and I was born in the US in 1953. I was looking for a cabbage roll recipe(as I do not recall my Mother’s specific ingredients…like she had any…haha) and came upon your site. Just FYI for the eggplant caviar…my Mom also added green pepper and used tomato sauce for the liquid portion vs picante sauce. I have bookmarked your website for future recipes!! Thank you for carrying on the tradition! Reply

natashaskitchen

June 18, 2016

Thank you for bookmarking! I hope you find many new favorite recipes here 🙂 Reply

Tzivia

June 13, 2016

Yo Natasha made this just a few days ago and omg am almost done with it love eggplant and carrots didn’t have salsa so I added hot sauce instead and it came out really very yummy and delish will be making this again darlin cheers Reply

Hi Natasha,
It says the recipe serves 8-12. Visually, how much does this recipe produce? About 2-3 cups total? more? less? Trying to plan on the right quantity for a large crowd I’m serving tomorrow… Thank you. Reply

natashaskitchen

December 6, 2013

I wish I had measured it. I want to say it’s at least 3- 4 cups. Reply

A few readers wrote in with recipes for that. I will definitely be doing some testing in my kitchen. Thanks! Reply

Nina

October 2, 2013

Hi, Natasha,
I always do the same way except home tomatoes instead salsa and add red pepper.Almost the same. But this year I bake eggplants in the stove by just cutting them in half before making IKRA. It fast and easy. After eggplants cooked cooled them a little bit and removed the skin. Its removed very easy too. Chopped or blended. Than cooked more 15-20 more min all ingredients add garlic, basil, dill, parsley from my garden add sea salt pepper. It turns so JUMMY. Try this way. Reply

natashaskitchen

October 2, 2013

Is your’s more of a spread? It sounds amazing the way you described it. MMMMM 🙂 Reply

Natasha, I just saw this eggplant caviar on FoodGawker, and I knew it must’ve been your recipe! This is one of my most favorite spreads, I love eating it together with some good salami (kolbasa) on a slice of good berad. And, also drinking plum kompot with it. 🙂 Reply

We prefer our baklajanaya ikra with a more pureed texture. Once the ingredients are cooked, my mother-in-law passes everything through a meat grinder. This was one of the first things I asked her to show me how to make! Yummy! Reply

natashaskitchen

September 14, 2013

Now I have to ask, do you add mayo to it too? I’ll have to put it through my meat grinder one of these days. This one was diced really finely so it was still very spreadable. Reply

Pat

September 16, 2013

HA! Actually, one of the few recipes where mayo is NOT involved! 🙂 Reply

Hi Natasha, I also love making this, though I cook it longer to soften up eggplant. Adding salsa – what a great idea! Thank you.
I use just any tomatoes in a can.
Here I started to make it like a version of Ratatouille to cater to my husband’s taste – by adding zucchinis. Reply

natashaskitchen

September 14, 2013

You’re welcome 🙂 I’ve added zucchini before and they turned out great. Reply

Yum!! I just love that every household in Russia and Ukraine would have their own version but everyone loves it just the same. Cool to see your recipe, I just posted my own version last week. Tis the season, I suppose because I just made it again last night but very chunky! Never heard of the mayo version though. It must be the Soviet Union edition. 😉 Reply

natashaskitchen

September 14, 2013

I’m going to check yours out!… Must be but Slavic people sure do love mayo in stuff. 🙂 I do too 😉 Reply

Never heard of this version of eggplant caviar. Interesting. I know 2 methods: 1. Roasted whole eggplant mashed and mixed with spices. 2. Chopped eggplant sautéed with onions and mayo. Should try this one. Any way eggplant with garlic is the bomb dot com. Reply

natashaskitchen

September 13, 2013

I have to try the mayo method next. One of my readers on instagram mentioned that also. Sounds amazing too! Reply

Oh, talking to myself here. I remember making this –
fry some slices of eggplant and stack them with tomato slices on skewer. Mayo with garlic and parsley are the spread between the layers.
Is that it, Olena? I love it! Reply